Remembering the basics can be one of the best ways to help boost response. At the very least by examining your own piece to ensure you are smartly using the following three elements can ensure you have the basics covered.

Why should they give?

I know this is going to sound very basic and many people will be thinking “my entire letter explains why they should give” but does it really? If you were the recipient of your own letter would you have a good idea specifically where your money is being spent?

I receive plenty of nonprofit appeals that sound something like this:

By sending your donation to [Nonprofit ABC] today, you are helping provide [X Service] for those in need.

This is a common approach but it doesn’t really show the donor where their money is being spent. Instead you should try something specific like the following:

Your donation today will go towards the purchase of [ABC Machine] which will help us care for the [XX] of patients in desperate need of this life saving care.

Or

Your $[XX] donation will allow us to provide [Service] to [X Number] of people in need.

The Gift

The guilty little gift, a small item included with your appeal, creates the feeling of obligation. That obligation may make the recipient spend more time with your DM piece or motivate them to send in a donation. This is Direct Mail 101 but it’s no less relevant today than ever.

When using a gift it’s important to highlight it prominently; reference it on the envelope or through the window. You can keep it a mystery to try and increase your open rates but make sure you reference it on the envelope.

Obligation is a wonderful tool for driving response. We have all received the mailing “it cost only 5 cents to feed a starving child” and they include a nickel in the mailing. My immediate reaction is “Why wouldn’t you feed a child with this nickel!” But it gets you to open the package and if enough people respond, the nickel really is trivial. And remember, not every gift needs to be wasteful; there are plenty of ways to appeal to your donors with something they can use or something that creates an emotional connection to the groups you are trying to help.

The Cliffhanger

Sometimes you have a story to tell and one page won’t get the job done. If you want your customer to flip the page, use this time honored secret that… (over)

——————————————————————Break—————————————————————

will really help hook your readers.

By breaking your page mid-sentence , the reader will feel compelled to complete the thought and invariably flip the page. People hate being left hanging, it reminds me of the time I was out for sushi and this helper Monkey riding an Ocelot sprang from the kitchen, then as if things couldn’t get weirder…